Shadows Forgotten
by bibliophile030
Summary: In the main plot, he was a dispensable one arc antagonist, only reappearing for a brief cameo in the anime. But who is Kageyama? Why does he hate the regular guilds? Why does he have dispelling magic powerful enough to undo the works of great mages past? A mysterious past, a faithful partner, and powers he never wanted to have to use ever again. Pairings...unknown for now.
1. Song of Death

Song of Death

* * *

A/N: Well, this has been lying around my files for several months. Never wrote for Fairy Tail before this. Not sure if this is a keeper or not, but I thought I might as well post it and then see how it takes. I only wrote a handful of other chapters.

I don't think I've ever read a work focusing on Kageyama. I kind of like his character and his abilities (you can guess what Naruto character I also like best in turn). I kind of created this whole complex backstory for him. Complex like…Natsu and Erza's level of complex family backstories.

* * *

"Speech"

 _Thoughts_

" **Warped or demonic voice"** _ **or thoughts**_

*effects*

* * *

The forest was quiet. Funny, how the world seemed to favor such cliché scenes.

A young man strode confidently through the odd gloom pervading through this particular part of the forest. At his side was a rather odd creature: a bipedal cat with light purple and black striped fur. A simple black cloak covered its body, the hood resting down.

"Kage-chan, why are we strolling through such an unpleasant place?" sighed the cat.

"Because Lullaby is somewhere here, Nightingale. At least, that's what my guildmates reported," replied Kageyama patiently to his companion.

"And another thing, Kageyama, why do persist in staying with such unpleasant people? They're part of a disrespectable _dark_ guild. The Council themselves ordered Eisenwald to be disbanded," she stated with a scowl.

"Our guild may not be sanctioned, but remember, we owe Erigor. He's the reason why we have a place to call home in the first place. If not for him, I would probably be on the streets, and who knows what would have happened to you."

"True, but still…" grumbled Nightingale before sighing and giving up. Her mage was a stubborn one and rarely listened to reason when he got something in his head.

Kageyama let his false smile slipped, a look of regret flashing before being replaced by a long look. He stopped and knelt down, hand held out to his companion. His mouth quirked into a small smile when the cat wordlessly climbed up his arm and settled on his shoulders in a distinctly cat-like fashion. No matter what dark paths her mage friend walked, Nightingale would always be waiting for him, if not lying just out of sight.

The two continued to travel in silence until they wandered to a seemingly empty meadow with a single large tree at the center. Without hesitation, Kageyama stepped forward into the tree, phasing through the illusionary barrier. Nightingale shuddered briefly. Kageyama absentmindedly patted his friend, eyes fixed on what the tree hid.

In the center laid a secret shrine, and within its alcove stood a wooden flute with an unusual three-eyed skull on one end and the end having three branches upon which the item stood. The forbidden magical item Lullaby, a tool enhanced by the Black Wizard Zeref to play a song for only the dead to hear. Kageyama reached out with a hand but stopped when a shimmering barrier flashed around the flute.

"A seal. And a powerful one. I suppose this is why you volunteered to pick up the infernal thing?" muttered Nightingale. "Lullaby. Such a dangerous weapon shouldn't have been left alone with only a seal as its guardian."

The teen had a thoughtful look on his face. "No guardian? I wouldn't say that…I vaguely sense several magical imprints aside from those left behind by my guildmates. Very old ones. And long gone. I think this place once did have various other protections, but age and war probably worn them down to just this remaining seal. I have no doubt they must have been something considering the item in question. Same goes for this last guardian. But, as it is…" Kageyama smirked.

Nightingale got the idea; she nimbly leaped off Kageyama's shoulders. The mage eyed the humming seal once before splaying out his hand. A deep blue energy, nearly black, began to seethe from his palm. It stretched out, tendrils gently alighting on the seal surrounding the flute. Bright white light flashed, filling the chamber. Slowly, the light ebbed and disappeared. The cat tilted her head curiously at the cursed magic tool. Kageyama hesitated a moment before putting his hand near. No seal glowed. Smirking, the shadow mage snatched the flute.

"Perfect, just as I thought. The centuries certainly have not been kind to this old shrine, indeed! Now, we of Eisenwald will be able to pay back those official guilds!" sneered Kageyama.

"Baka-yama! Be careful, you're beginning to sound like crypt-face."

"Nightingale! You shouldn't call our guild master names!" gently reprimanded the mage. Typical of his dear cat companion to either call him by his usual endearment one moment then go and insult him the next.

The cat scowled. "Who in the world would have the gall to call themselves _Shinigami?!_ Erigor's full of his own wind. And we both know how voluntary our continued association with Eisenwald is."

Kageyama huffed in exasperation, but he couldn't find anything to counter her argument. It was true; Kageyama had, in the past, grown increasingly distressed with the ever-growing list of foul and questionable works of his fellow guildmates and the guild as a whole. His countenance darkened further as he remembered the months he spent keeping Nightingale's egg safe and secure and, most importantly, a secret from his guild master until she finally hatched six years ago. But he couldn't keep her secret after that forever, or even more than a few weeks after her birth. Things for the shadow mage only got harder with another person to protect outside of himself.

Nightingale eyed her friend, hard gaze softening. Life has not been kind to Kageyama in so many ways. She shook her head before walking up the mage and tugging at one end of the flute, drawing said mage's attention.

"Hey! Nightingale, don't pull at that!" yelped the teen in an unmanly fashion. "Lullaby's not some cheap toy, you know! It can cast the black magic of 'Death,' putting people into an _eternal_ kind of rest. So, please let go?" pled the teen.

The cat immediately let go. "Seriously?! Erigor wants this kind of magic? I know you said it was dangerous, but Death magic? You know how dangerous that is! So, why are we giving it to Erigor?!"

"What Erigor wants, he gets. You know what would have happened if those guys came back empty-handed. They're lucky they met with me first before reporting in," retorted Kageyama with a scoff. "And I would have been hunted down by our guild master personally to attend to the matter afterwards. There isn't anyone else with my finesse for cancelling out all types of magic."

"You do have a gift for dispelling magic, don't you?" replied the cat, voice going uncharacteristically soft. "It's not as strong as it should be, though. Kage-chan, perhaps you should release the-"

"No, Nightingale. It's too risky," insisted the mage. "Plus, I'm not even sure if I can anymore."

Kageyama's hands clenched around the flute before relaxing. Black eyes darkened even further as memories of the past beckoned forth. But the mage just shook his head free of them. The seal on his full stung whenever he used the remnants of the inborn magic he still retained, but he couldn't afford to release his full powers. They were too dangerous if left unfettered. And too hard to conceal their origins even if he used only derived skills from them.

"Come on, Night-chan. We better head back. The next train's leaving in an hour."

* * *

"Hello? Is anyone sitting here?... My, my, you don't seem well at all."

Kageyama smiled gently at the pink-haired teen who looked about his own age. Sweat poured off the youth's skin and his breath came in pants. It wasn't an entirely false sentiment. Kageyama could sympathize for people who suffered from severe motion sickness, especially in this day and age of motorized transport.

"Sounds quite painful. Will you be okay?"

Kageyama leaned forward from his seat as his eyes caught the bright red glyph of a guild mark: a fairy in flight with a curled tail.

"Fairy Tail," he said aloud. "One of those regular guilds, huh? I positively envy people like you."

Kageyama knew in the back of his mind that messing with a regular guild member while transporting Lullaby may not have been the brightest idea. But, he couldn't really help himself. Years of being looked down upon because he was part of a disgraceful and now ousted guild left its mark. He may not like (and secretly loathed) Erigor much as a person, but he was a mage of Eisenwald and had been for years, bad reputation or not. They had become his family of sorts, the only home he known after _that_ day.

Plus, he couldn't stand the snootiness and arrogance of the likes of the Magic Council or those who followed them. And here he had a member of Fairy Tail, a guild who stirred up trouble everywhere but remained an official guild despite it. _And how pathetic could you be if you sprung up for a fight, hands alit, only to topple from an upset stomach?_

Then the train had to pull an emergency stop. When the teen recovered suddenly the moment the train stopped moving, Kageyama had the little bit of inkling the other mage might be more than he seemed; the flaming punch to the face cinched it. He glared as he pulled himself back onto his elbow, body throbbing from the impact of being sent flying into the other train cabin. Nightingale had growled at him countless times his temper and recklessness would get the best over his skill and intellect if he didn't take more care, but Kageyama still had his moments.

"Fucking fly," hissed the mage as he swiped at his bloodied face. "You have some guts picking a fight with Eisenwald! Don't think you'll get away with this alive!"

Then the idiot jumped out through the window. The unopened window. While the train was moving. Kageyama blinked at the shattered glass panel.

"What a nut," remarked Nightingale as she crept out from under the seat. "And you're not much better. Why the hell did you start a fight, Baka-yama?! You're lucky you're more durable than the average mage." _Oh boy…another lecture._

Kageyama rolled his eyes and then frowned as something occurred to him. "His illness passed the moment the train stopped."

"So, what?" questioned the cat.

"…I don't think he had motion sickness. Not the ordinary kind. No, I think we might have just had a run in with the Salamander of Fairy Tail."

"…And he saw Lullaby roll out of that satchel of yours, didn't he?"

"…"

"We're screwed."

* * *

Nightingale's predication came true; Erigor-san was not at all please to hear about the Fairy Tail mage Kageyama failed to eliminate. The shadow mage couldn't move away even when he knew his guild master's scythe swung about, not when he was doing his best to hide his true skills. _Damned flies,_ cursed the teen silently as he clutched at his nicked ears.

He was really cursing later on when his sneak attack was so easily torn to shreds by the Fire Dragon Slayer. Kageyama left the grunts and Byard to handle the two women while he, Rayule, and Karacka spread out to get the drop on the remaining flies. Except, these flies were more like wasps – the magical beast kind.

The Salamander's monstrous strength easily busted through several brick walls – despite the doors being conveniently next to said holes. He could have just let the guy stupidly keep bashing and stumbling about like some sort of mindless animal, but his pride wouldn't let him leave the guy alone like that after what happened with Erigor.

A part of him flinched as the pink-haired brat's murderous gaze settled on him, but Kageyama kept smiling at him in spite of it. _You're being too proud_ his inner voice that sounded suspiciously like Nightingale warned him. _You call them arrogant, but what about you?_

He ignored it and calmly reported to his enemy, "Interesting magic you have there. I think I have the general idea, at least. You use flames to heat up and accelerate your body and increase your destructive power, the flames in of themselves causing massive damage."

A Shadow Knuckle launched itself up, but the bastard dodged it. Even the many heads of his Shadow Orochi were just dispelled by the guy's brutal flame punches. With little other choice, Kageyama pulled on his hidden reserves of magic, wincing as the magic seal on his body prickled in response to the increased flow of magic. Kageyama dodged the flurry of flaming fists - but just barely. But then the guy launched himself at the mage unexpectedly, grabbing the collar of his black and white coat slamming him into the ground. A dragon's fiery breath bashed him hard into the wall. His vision swam.

He could practically hear Nightingale's rough voice tearing him a new one. First, he pissed off the Fire Dragon Slayer mage by taunting him about Erigor's absence, then his own guildmate stabbed him in the back, literally. They may all be dark mages, but seriously? This was the thanks he got for several years of service?

* * *

Kageyama came to when those Fairy Tail flies somehow escaped the inescapable Wind Wall. To his utter bewilderment, those mages actually treated him for his wounds and wanted to bring him to a doctor in Clover. The very place his compatriots – _former compatriots,_ taunted his cynical inner voice – planned to unleash Lullaby.

"I'm useless as a hostage," Kageyama admitted blithely. It was the truth, his only real value to his guild was his unusual dispelling powers. Once he had served his purpose… "Erigor-san could obviously care less about my well-being. He's a cold-blooded killer who thought this whole plan up himself, you know. You might as well kill me since I'm your enemy and all."

The girl – Lucy – turned away with a sigh. "Yeesh, what a gloomy thought."

"You know, if you want to die so badly, I'll be obliged to do you in right now."

Kageyama stared at the other mage, a young man not much older than himself with spiky raven hair, in a black and white coat similar to the one he usually wore. The ice mage of Fairy Tail, Gray Fullbuster. The mage's serious expression was disconcerting and all too perceptive.

"Life and death are hardly the only options you have. Why don't you live your life a bit more positively? Don't you have someone who would want that for you, dead or alive?" stated the ice mage. Those eyes of his looked familiar to the shadow mage whose own gaze ducked down rather than meet them.

Quiet descended for all of a moment. Then the car began to flail about. If Kageyama stretched out his magic senses, he found out just how low on magic their driver was. The mage prayed the scary woman would be able to get them across the canyons and valleys sheltering Clover from everywhere else in one piece. Out of habit, Kageyama taunted the mages about their guildmate, face relaxed in familiar fake smile. However, the shadow mage knew deep in his heart that Erigor may not actually be a match for the pink-haired mage's firepower when considering the fire's origins. Dragon magic could have a surprising effect on normal magic from what he knew on the subject.

* * *

They finally caught up to the Salamander and Erigor, the latter flat out on his back, knocked out and burned in several places. The great 'Shinigami' Erigor, scourge of Eisenwald, had been utterly defeated by the wizard of Fairy Tail.

"Hmm? Oh, you guys finally showed up! Well, you're late. I already took care of this guy," laughed the impudent teen. Kageyama blinked as he caught sight of a blue and white bipedal cat not unlike his own companion. Then the mage's words finally registered.

"Well done," huffed the tired requip mage with a tired smile.

The ice mage just snorted, unimpressed.

Kageyama stared in bafflement and no little awe. "Y-you really did it?! You beat Erigor-san?!" he gasped. It still boggled his mind that someone like him could beat Erigor's invincible Storm Mail.

While the other mages gathered about their guildmate, something caught Kageyama's eye.

 _Lullaby._ The fire dragon slayer seemed to have completely forgot to retrieve the evil magic tool after defeating the guild master. Kageyama briefly considered just scooping it up and stealing the stolen magic vehicle but discarded the notion. He was envious of the official guilds, hated how his status as a dark mage pretty much made him a target for regular mages, but did he _really_ want to so casually snuff out the old geezer mages and a good portion of the populace of Clover? Deep down in his heart, he knew he would never be able to do something so inhumane of his own volition. Not when given another choice. Thoughtlessly, the shadow mage knelt down to pick up the tool, mind heavily leaning toward handing it over to the Fairy Tail wizards.

 _ **Do you really want to let this chance go, young one?**_ Kageyama's grip suddenly tightened around the wooden flute as a black miasma oozed from the instrument, the purplish-black strands quickly seeping into his own skin. His chained down magic bucked but could not act. Black eyes widened before glazing over. All his doubts, jealousy, and petty anger surged until it consumed his thoughts and sent his conscience reeling. His vision became strangely tunnel-like. To the shadow mage's horror, he watched helplessly as his own ragged body hauled itself quickly over to the magic vehicle, strapping on the fuel cable, and pulling it into drive.

"Kageyama!"

Kageyama cursed at Lullaby as the darkly influenced version of himself chortled wildly at the Fairy Tail mages. His veins burned with the amount of magic being torn away.

 _ **My, my, aren't I lucky? You have quite the magic reservoirs hiding away in that frail human body of yours, young mage. Or should I call you**_ _–_ Kageyama's mind shuddered violently but his outward expression only grew more malicious.

"Careless little flies! You should have taken the flute when you had the chance. Now, with Lullaby in my possession, I will make the dark new era Erigor-san promised a reality! Try and catch up to me!"

* * *

The possessed mage sneered at the wizards still attending the regular meeting. He lifted the flute to his lips… Then the guild master of Fairy Tail himself, the great Makarov, had to interrupt. Lullaby drew on the mage's honed skills of acting to pull a suitably pleasant and innocent expression.

"Young man, you look pretty injured there. Shouldn't you be at a hospital?" grumbled the tiny guild master.

"Hospital? Oh dear, I must have wandered quite far from it, haven't I? But such a lovely night made me restless. Would you like to hear a song, sir? The staff at the hospital wouldn't let me play," beseeched the possessed mage, his mind bristling at the sugary undertones.

 _GET OUT OF MY BODY!_ yelled Kageyama to the evil presence taking over his actions.

"A song? I kind of need to find those three rascals of mine, though. That flute of yours…it's rather creepy, isn't it?" replied the elder wizard with a suspicious look.

"Really? It may not look the prettiest, but it has a lovely tune. Wouldn't you oblige me by listening to one song?"

"Hrmmm…fine. But just one," instructed Makarov with a pointed index finger in emphasis.

 _ **Why should I? Isn't this what you wanted? To topple those regular guilds by taking out their masters? Or better yet, use this power to destroy the person who kept you shackled at his feet with not only your life but the life of your only true friend at stake. Stop your useless struggling, and I'll make you the face of the new era!**_

Maybe he would have listened to those words during those worse times as a young mage condemned for being in a dark guild. But he never really agreed when Erigor-san began to heavily increase the number of illegal assignments such as assassination jobs. Raising the strange winged cat by himself taught him to value life too much to simply snuff it out for money. But Kageyama had buried those feelings, convinced himself to transfer his self-hatred to the regular guilds Erigor-san hated so much. First, to protect himself when he was lost and with nothing as a young child. Then later, to protect his one precious person left in this world. In the interim, the shadow mage lost himself to the bitterness and darkness his mask (and maybe a small, innermost part of himself) reveled in.

Memories flashed. Of his guildmates' sneers and bitter rants against regular guilds. Of the regular wizards who saved his life, who took vengeance on behalf of his betrayal by Karacka.

The evil spirit fought to make the young wizard play. But Kageyama's conscience has roused in protest, every bit of mental strength directed to keep from letting the first deadly note ring.

"Well? Aren't you going to play? Hurry it up. Play. Now."

 _ **Play! These are the very people who looked down on you! People who invite weakness, who are too soft-hearted to take the very jobs you've have to do for several years before the Magic Council finally caught wind of Eisenwald's illegal activities. Will you not fulfill the dreams of your guild? Your own of freedom from those scathing eyes and hard words? Or will you remain a lowly dark mage seen beneath the flies? A single song, and everything will change!**_

As if to contradict the malevolent presence, the short guild master sighed and simply stated, "Nothing will change."

Both Lullaby and Kageyama paused in their fight over the mage's body.

"Those who are weak will stay weak. But weakness does not make you evil. Or unworthy. At the beginning, we humans are weak. When you stand alone, you fear the power of others; that's why people began to form guilds: to struggle but struggle together; to find the strength in companionship and nakama; to grow and learn as the bonds we form bind us together as a family. We may not all reach the goals we set at the same time; we may not succeed on the first try, and many will fail more than others. But, that's okay. The future is the future because it's not today and it's not yesterday; it's the days ahead. It's the one day when you naturally develop your strength but all the while learning how to live strongly with a smile on your face. If you believe in tomorrow, then that day will come."

The old man grinned widely, eyes lit. "Of course, you would do so without having to depend on such a flute to achieve your goals."

Empowered by the old man words, Kageyama pushed, summoning every bit of his will. A purple-black haze briefly surrounded the young man before writhing wildly and dispersing back into the flute. He threw the demonic flute to the ground and fell to his hands and knees.

"I give up," wheezed Kageyama.

"Master!" "Jicchan!" "Jii-san!"

Looked like those people have finally caught up to him. The excited members of Fairy Tail quickly swarmed their master.

"Amazing speech as always, master!" complimented Fairy Tail's Titania as she embraced the dwarfish man to her breast.

"Yeah, you're awesome, Jicchan."

"So, is everything settled, now?"

The old man narrowed his eyes, gaze darting between the young dark mage and the flute.

"Actually, I don't think it is."

More of the dark purple fumes from earlier billowed from the cursed magic tool.

" **Oh, so you caught on? No matter. I don't think I can hold back any longer. It's been such a long time. Since my last meal, that is, ka ka ka ka!"** rumbled a deep and rough voice from within the roiling plumes of smoke.

The gathered wizards gaped as a huge monster burst forth from the ominous smoke.

" **Allow me to consume them…your pitiful excuses of souls!"**

"THAT'S what possessed me?!" stammered out Kageyama.

"You were possessed?!" "You let that thing possessed you?!" yelled the two male members of Fairy Tail.

"Not relevant at the moment," warned Erza Scarlet as she warily regarded their newest opponent.

"Countless centuries have passed since I have been sealed, flies. I'm absolutely famished, so your souls will have to do and serve as my first decent meal," sneered the demon.

"Souls are edible?! Do they taste good?" asked Salamander to the ice mage who promptly admonished the fire-user.

"What's going on? Why did a demon emerge from the flute?" asked the Stellar Spirit Mage.

"Because, Lullaby _is_ a devil. Originally a magic tool with death curse magic, Zeref enchanted it, turning it into a living magic as was his specialty," answered Goldmine, the guild master of Quatro Cerberus.

Erza looked at the creature in amazement. "Living magic…"

"Zeref?! You don't mean the one from centuries ago?!" questioned Gray.

A rather large man dressed rather…scathingly…explained, "The dark mage Zeref, most widely regarded as the most atrocious and despicable mage in all the history of magic…to think his legacy has survived to current times…"

The monster smiled toothily at the small humans swarming below. **"Who shall be my first appetizer? You? Or you? Or…how about ALL OF YOU!"**

Magic surged around the creature's gaping maw, strains of music gaining in intensity.

The mages of Fairy Tail lunged into action. Kageyama could only gape as sword, ice, and fire magic flared to life. These mages casted faster than most, if not all, of Kageyama's guildmates. Not even Erigor could boast such brute power and speed. Fairy Tail's strongest female mage took out the devil's legs while the dragon slayer toppled it with a single flaming kick.

"Ice Make: Lance!" called out Gray Fullbuster after he protected the older wizards with an ice shield. From his crossed hands, several spikes of ice curled and slammed into the monster's side. The demon lurched in pain.

"Now!"

Erza Scarlet struck below in her Black Wing Armor, and the Salamander's Brilliant Flame nailed the monster directly in the face and chest. Kageyama had no words for the sheer destructive power of the mages of Fairy Tail. _To think, I called them flies_. At that thought, the shadow mage sweat-dropped, his thought-image of Nightingale yowling at him for lacking sense or even a brain. Then he noticed where the monster began to fall against.

The shadow mage subtly curled his fingers. Silvery, nearly invisible energy crackled noiselessly compared to the spells flinging about them. Invisible strands gathered into an unseen wall of air, pushing against the behemoth enough to avoid crushing the building where the guild masters held their regular meeting. Kageyama let a small smile flit about his lips as his vision once more swam and turn dark, the seal and his own injuries finally rebounding on him.


	2. Do Fairies Really Have Tails?

Do Fairies Really Have Tails?

* * *

A/N: So, still experimental. Any ideas for pairings? I don't plan on making it the centerpiece or anything, but it's something for me to ruminate on later in the story.

Thanks for the review Duchess Delicate. I would love to hear what people think about this idea.

* * *

"...chan!...ake…! Wake up!" The shadow mage blinked bleary eyes as he finally came to. A familiar purple face lined with black stripes along the sides stared back at him.

*Click. Clank*

The mage lurched up as he registered the cold of rune-sealed steel around his wrists. Through the folds of her cloak, he could see his cat companion also had the same kind of cuff, though along her midriff.

"N-night-chan? What happened with Lullaby? Wher- Are we in jail? And why are _you_ in here with me?!"

"Probably because your cat friend admitted helping you get Lullaby," said a guard striding by his cell.

"Helping? She only accompanied me!" argued Kageyama as he woke up a bit more, anger seeping into his tone.

"Still aiding and abetting a dark mage. At the very least, she's an accomplice not only for you but for your entire guild. She handed herself over after making sure you were all patched up. Dedicated little thing. Refused to leave your side for a minute. Since you never actually cast Lullaby, and the guild masters attested to it possessing you from the canyons to Clover, both of your sentences isn't quite as bad as they could be."

* * *

For several days, the two languished in their prison cell. Then, one morning the two woke up to see one of the last people Kageyama would guess would come to visit him (one being his missing guild master – if only to punish him for his failure). There before the cell bars was the master of Fairy Tail, the person he nearly killed with Lullaby.

"Morning, young mages!" greeted the tiny wizard with a wide grin.

"…"

"Aren't you brats going to greet me? Put on a smile. Especially since this is hopefully your last day in this place."

"W-what?!" choked out Kageyama. Nightingale narrowed her dark eyes in obvious distrust.

"I managed to foist a deal on the Magic Council. They arrested my Erza for formalities' sake – since my guild kind of destroyed a bunch of places, causing a lot of property damage – but during the proceedings, the powers that be of the Magic Council did feel that we of Fairy Tail whom had prevented a major catastrophe deserved a bit of leniency. So, I figured since we were on a roll, I might as well do a bit of persuading and a whole lot of favor pulling. I finally managed to strong-arm them into transferring your sentence from jail time to community service upon your acceptance. So, what do you say?" offered the old mage.

"I-I- is this for real?" stuttered Kageyama.

Nightingale hissed, "I agree with Baka-yama. What's the fine print here, old guy?"

The master mage chuckled. "Smart cat you have there. You should listen to her more often, Kageyama-chan. Your community service would be serving as a member of my guild, half of all profits going to the repairs needed at for the train station, railroad, and other areas affected by Eisenwald's scheme. It's only a temporary thing, until everything been paid off. The Council will review your case and your behavior during this time and decide on whether you paid your dues. Then you're free to leave the guild and go your own way. Or you could stay on as a member. The decision's up to you."

Kageyama stared in disbelief at the old wizard. The deal sounded way too good to be true.

"Why?" he finally asked.

The cheerful man's face grew contemplative as he considered his next words carefully. Makarov could definitely use more people who used their heads once in a while in the guild. Meant less property damage in the long-term. Even if they tended to talk back, argue, and nitpick.

"Because you have potential. Both as a mage and as a man. Pretty evident you have a lot more magic than you usually show if the whole pushing the giant devil away from the regular meeting hall is anything to show. By the way, thanks for that. Would have been a pain to deal with a bunch of angry old men and women if my guild wrecked the regular meeting place on top of all the places Fairy Tail had already destroyed during this entire affair.

Anyways, the Council revealed to me about that seal of yours. Remember how banged up you were? Can't exactly hide a magical seal under a medical and magical examination. Actually, the Council brought it up in their efforts to... ahem, dissuade me. It's rather incredible how much magic you've shown in spite of it. The complexity of the seal is amazing work, too. And don't deny it, the seal carries traces of your magic, after all. Your shadow magic is, interestingly enough, separate from whatever is being sealed, though. Must be part of your dispelling magic then, hmm?"

"I tried to kill you and all the guild masters with Lullaby," snapped Kageyama, upset with himself as much as with this ancient who dared to dangle a chance like this in front of him. "Tell me the fucking truth, already! If you know how dangerous I really am, then why risk it?!"

"Because you're young. You have your whole life ahead of you. You realized your fault, didn't you? By throwing off the demon's influence, you've shown how you also thrown off the chains of hate that once bound you."

"…"

"Do you know why my guild is called Fairy Tail?"

"Uhhh…no." Kageyama had no idea where this was going. Nightingale shook her head as well, eyes raised in speculation. _Oh good, it's not a conspiracy these two cooked up to punish me for being an idiot._

The old magic master smirked. "Do fairies really have tails? That's the founding sentiment of my guild. Fairies are legendary creatures no mortal man has ever seen. That very question was posed by the first guild master to her fellow founders. It represents an endless quest, an eternal question for which we may never have an answer. Fairy Tail is a guild where dreamers come together, pulled by a love of adventure, mystery, and perhaps even fate itself. It doesn't matter where our members come from, whether from riches or rags or even shady or dark guilds. We are a guild where the weak and strong come together as a family. I hope this helped you decide. Have you come to your answer yet, young man?"

* * *

"I'm back! And I brought some new members!" hollered the little guild master enthusiastically. Kageyama and Nightingale were less enthused as they nervously smiled at the various guild members scattered through the tavern that made up the first floor of Fairy Tail's guild hall.

A more than merely fetching silver-haired maid came over to greet the newcomers. Kageyama's smile felt strained; he remembered her from the guild magazines. Mirajane, the beautiful face of Fairy Tail. And a powerful mage of her own by all rights. At least, she was in the past.

"Hello there, nice to meet you, I'm Mirajane Strauss. Welcome to our guild!"

Suddenly a large shadow overcast the mage and cat. Kageyama turned his head and met face-to-face with a hulking tanned man with the same silvery-white hair as Mirajane. Elfman Strauss, Take-Over mage and named 'Beast-armed' for his characteristic ability to absorb the might of beasts and monsters he has faced and manifest their power in his right arm.

"Hmm," hummed the hulking mage. "You look familiar…wait, aren't you one of the dark mages of Eisenwald? The people who tried to kill our master alongside the other guild masters?"

The cheery atmosphere suddenly became tensed as the man's voice carried to the rest of the mages.

"Really?"

"Now that I think about it, he was in that picture in the newspaper the other day!"

"Wait, why did master bring him _here?!_ "

Kageyama hunched his shoulders, pulling the high collar of his new black coat higher. At his side, the anthropomorphic cat's fur began to bristle.

"Enough! Kageyama-kun and Nightingale-chan are here to atone for their crimes!" bellowed the small mage who suddenly grew several sizes larger for emphasis. "As of today, he's a member of Fairy Tail, and you will all treat him as such. Got it?"

The mages murmured various forms of assent. Gradually, the hum of various conversations started up again. Mirajane still smiled gently at the two as she went around the bar to search for something.

"Where oh where…? Ah. Here it is!" She brought up a magic stamp used to impart a guild's mark on newcomers.

"Kageyama-san, right? And who is this cutie?"

"I am not merely cute, I'm fetching and strong!" muttered the magic cat under her breath. Kageyama inwardly chuckled. _Add vain and touchy, too._

"Sorry about that," apologized Kageyama as his best friend continued to mumble about other people who made the same mistake about calling her any variation of cute. "Night-chan has been a close friend of mine for six years now, ever since I hatched her from an egg."

"Oh! So, she's like Happy, huh?"

"Happy?" inquired Nightingale as her attention returned to the conversation. "Who's that?"

"I believe he is the blue cat with white cheek and belly markings. Like yourself, he can fly with feathery white wings and normally walks on his hind feet," answered Kagyama. At her blank look, the shadow mage muttered, "I noticed him accompanying Salamander, Titania, Gray Fullbuster, and the Stellar Spirit mage."

Nightingale hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm, I guess this guild isn't too bad if another of my kind – whatever I am – is a part of this guild."

Kageyama shook his head in bewilderment of the temperamental feline then cleared his throat. "Miss Mirajane, were you offering to give us the guild mark of Fairy Tail?"

The waitress laughed. "Yes, that's right! Where would you like them?"

In the hollow of Kageyama's throat rested his new guild mark. He didn't regret getting rid of his old one; it ceased to have meaning to him as Eisenwald descended further and further from their original ideals. His mark of Fairy Tail shown a dull silvery gray. Nightingale's own white mark was located on her back, obscured usually by her trademark black cloak.

The former criminal was still a bit uneasy, so he stayed by the bar near Mirajane. His eyes scanned the hall as discreetly as possible.

"Excuse me, Miss Mirajane?" tentatively inquired Kageyama.

The retired mage gave a bubbly giggle. "You may just address me as Mirajane, Kageyama. What's up?"

"I do not see those mages who initially apprehended myself and my former guildmates. Are they on a mission?"

"Mission?! More like in deep trouble once Gray or Erza finally fetches them!" roared Master Makarov. "That idiotic dragon slayer, Lucy, and Happy stole off with one of the S-class missions. Gray said he would get them, but knowing that guy, I would have to send Erza just to keep those boys in line."

Mirajane explained, "Only five people are S-classed mages, with Master's permission to pursue assignments posted on the second-floor mission board. That would include Erza, Mystogan – a mysterious mage whom none but a few people have ever seen – and Laxus."

"And the strongest mage in all of Fairy Tail, don't you forget," sneered an older male from above them. He had spiked blond hair, wore spiked magic headphones, and dressed in leopard-printed tunic and cape ensemble. His most prominent feature, though, was the jagged lightning-shaped scar over his right eye. "No one, not Erza nor Mystogan nor even Gramps is stronger!"

"Laxus Dreyer," said Mirajane with a frown.

"Dreyer? As in Marakov Dreyer?" inquired Kageyama, extremely wary of the loud blond.

Mirajane nodded. "He's Master's grandson."

His dulled magic senses warned of power, quite a lot concealed under the man's skin. Something about it, though, felt… _wrong._ Not exactly unnatural, but maybe a touch…what was the word? Artificial? Something more akin to Holder Magic yet not. _Strange. And dangerous._ Weren't all unknowns so?

Kageyama resisted the urge to react at the arrogant smirk the older man threw at them. There was definitely something more to the man than meets the eye. So, he opted for his disdaining, close-eyed smile.

"Laxus," growled the muscular Elfman. "It's not manly to boast about with such misplaced confidence!"

"Oh? Did the weakest of our Take-Over trio read the dictionary? Sorry, I mean, _former_ Take-Over trio."

"Why you-!"

"Careful," warned the smug mage. "Why don't you learn about what happens to those who try to overstep their boundaries? I'm sure Natsu, Happy, and that girl are learning all about that right now."

"No, Elfman!" cautioned Mirajane with an arm restraining the large, muscular mage. "He's not worth it!"

"But, Big Sis," growled the simmering muscleman.

"Enough, Laxus," scolded the old mage firmly. The blond man acknowledged the warning with another sneer, but said nothing more as he went back to the job board of the second floor and snatched off one of the handful of posted requests there.

"Later, Gramps, losers, and newbie."

* * *

Over the next several days, Kageyama adjusted to life in one of the most unconventional guilds of Fiore. Every now and then, a random fight would erupt, necessitating an intervention by Master Makarov himself. But the old mage seemed to take the chaos in stride as an everyday occurrence (which it was if Natsu and Gray were in proximity of each other as the older members duly informed him). He teamed up with various members such as the Shadow Gear trio, Cana, Macao Conbolt, and Wakaba Mine. They weren't extraordinary talents on their own, but they knew how to fight together to make up for it. Like the guild master had said to him, guilds brought all kinds of people together to become strong. The people there were very different from the people he knew from Eisenwald; friendly, individualized, and confident in their fellow guild members. They were a group who trusted in one another, even in new members like Lucy. Or himself.

It still stumped him how welcoming the guild was to a former criminal and stranger, even if Master Makarov himself invited him to the guild.

Kageyama laid back in his bed, Nightingale already curling up by his side. Their home wasn't much, a simple hut they set up temporarily until they could afford the material and time to build a stronger house.

Normally, his partner took shelter in a basket bed he made for her (and the only thing he kept from his former home after the rune knights cleaned out the Eisenwald headquarters). She protested, saying it was too cold at this time of year, and Kageyama was her personal heater. The young man suspected she kept by him to help ward off the old memories and nightmares plaguing his sleep since their imprisonment not so long ago. But the dark dreams were getting better the more time he spent with his new acquaintances (a part of him still denied they were guildmates, that would be acknowledging he was really a part of them, that he had accepted them as something more, even).

He recalled the first mission where he partnered up with some other members of the guild.

* * *

The shadow mage had gone off on a few jobs, nothing more than a few hours away from Magnolia Town. Mostly low-level tasks such as escorting various clients, delivery jobs, and a few monster hunting quests. Once he proved his magical strength and cunning, the guild master had finally given him permission to handle bigger quests, always with some other, older members of the guild.

There weren't many takers, though, and Nightingale was getting bored. The winged cat kept bugging him to find something a bit more challenging, especially since they only received half of the pay (not including the guild's take).

"Hey, Kageyama!" The teen blinked as Cana, the guild's heaviest drinker strolled over.

"Find anything interesting?"

A bit startled at the abrupt question, nonetheless Kageyama explained his interest in some of the A-level quests. In particular, a job asking for help routing out a band of bandits. Their hideout was in the Belladonna Forest, about a few hours away by train.

"Nightingale and I can probably handle the bandits since they're noted for heavily relying on magic. Easily countered by my dispelling magic. But, the report listed them having a powerful warding mage protecting their camp. I can probably handle whatever this guy puts up, but I won't be able to effectively defend myself against multiple enemies at the same time I'm taking down the wards. And I rather not let Nightingale fend them off by herself since she doesn't have any long-range offensive attacks..."

"Then why don't I come with?"

"I-what?" stammered out the shadow mage. No one ever _offered_ ; he had planned to ask maybe Levy, one of the more amicable guild members.

"I said, why don't I come along? You've been doing a lot of solo quests, but we _are_ a guild, right?" posed Cana with a fierce grin. "You should try teaming up with a few different people. Maybe even join or form your own team eventually. Anyways, I need some money since the old man is harping about my bar tab expenses again. If your cat can handle close combat, I can use my Card magic to support her."

"Are you sure?" asked Kageyama.

Cana just laughed at the other mage's concerned look. "Definitely. We female mages should stick together, you know. Plus, she looks pretty tough, probably tougher than Happy. By a lot if she can measure up to how she talks. If you have confidence in her ability to fight by your side, then who am I to argue?"

Nightingale perked up at the compliments and bared her fangs in the curve of a grin at the challenge. Her companion tilted his head towards her.

"What do you say, Nightingale? You have as much right to decide as me whom we team up with for a job."

The purple and black striped cat peered closely into the brunette mage's eyes. The human returned the scrutinizing look with a steady look of confidence. The magic cat smiled.

"I like her words, and she looks quite a bit better than _some_ people here," threw in the cat as her eyes very pointedly moved in the direction of a certain blond flirting with a few bar patrons. "She's in."

* * *

The three mages boarded the next train which took them to the outermost reaches of the forest. It reminded the shadow mage strongly of the same forest where Lullaby once rested but somewhat lighter. _This place is much younger in comparison,_ realized the former dark mage as he observed how the surrounding trees should be much taller and denser if they were the same age as the trees of the Blackwood Forest. Magic felt sharper, not as dulled by time.

"Man, Kageyama, doesn't this place feel a bit unpleasant?"

"Mmm, I suppose so. Kind of reminds me of the forest surrounding my old guild's headquarters. Not very welcoming, is it?" remarked the mage with a careless smile.

Cana studied her companion very intently. Her voice softened by a level or two as she said, "You don't have to pretend around me, Kageyama. I am your _guildmate_ , after all."

The false smile slid right off Kageyama's face, replaced by a wary frown. "Maybe someday I could be," whispered the mage softly, almost too softly for the brunette to hear. But hear she did, as did Nightingale. The magical cat patted her mage's pants leg.

"Yes, I think so," was her only reply, whether to Cana's words or his, Kageyama couldn't tell.

The three made good time; Kageyama signaled Cana to stop as soon as he sensed several malicious magics several meters ahead of them, their magical signatures nearly obscured by a magical barrier.

Kageyama quirked his head in thought as he studied the various energies.

"Ingenious. Whoever made this barrier really outdid themselves. Warding mages are common enough for those who practice the runic arts, but this one is quite powerful. So long as the mage is conscious, or the primary barrier holds, those within who exit through its parameters will gain a minor magical shield. Not as strong as the parental barrier, but definitely troublesome its more than a handful of the bandits have it on. I can dispel it, but I'll need time."

"And that's where we come in," completed Cana with a cheeky smile. Nightingale turned to the female mage.

"It's like you read my mind. I think I can learn to like you, Cana Alberona."

Cana smiled widely. "Same to you, Nightingale-chan. Now, let's get this party started! Kageyama, go ahead and get to work on the barrier; Nightingale-chan and I will handle any of these baddies who come near you."

Wordlessly, Kageyama nodded his thanks before turning into shadows. In this form, the mage slipped passed the few guards posted along the parameters of the barely visible barrier. Without further flourish, the mage slipped out of his hiding place and place both hands against the magical surface. Like before, dark blue shadowy tendrils extended from his hands, merging and slowly eating at the magic of the barrier. Soon, cries of panic and banging of hastily drawn weapons became evident. By this time, Cana and Nightingale have already dispatched the earlier guards and took positions around him.

Magically conjured lighting and fire flashed to life from Cana's deck of cards. Harsh roars echoed as the (mostly) harmless bipedal cat shifted, form darkening and stretching into a large black and purple tiger. Nightingale lunged and fended off several sword-wielding mages who had dodged past the onslaught of magic power. A thrown dagger nearly took out his arm until a fork of lightning sent it skittering harmlessly in to a tree trunk. Where it stuck, the bark began to smoke. Grateful, the shadow mage shot the Card magic wizard an appreciative glance before turning back to the task at hand. Sweat began to pour from his skin, his seal's magic lashing in punishment as the mage dared to draw deeper from his hidden magic reserves.

The semi-translucent barrier wavered. Slowly, it darkened until the pearly and entirely opaque wall became visible, just before it shattered like so much glass.

Cana and Nightingale cheered.

"You Fairy Tail bastards!" shouted a blond man who had emerged angrily from the bandit camp which the mages could now see clearly once the illusionary aspect of the barrier dispelled. His eyes slid over the three Fairy Tail mages, lingering on Cana's form to an indecent degree before settling on him, brown eyes burning with hatred.

Kageyama narrowed his eyes sharply in turn. "Bastards are we?" The other mage had already drawn out a katana and lunged for the shadow mage's throat. A sword of shadows formed to intercept the slash.

"Nice try," complimented Kageyama with his signature empty smile. Another of his Shadow Swords extended from the palm of his hand to strike back, only to be intercepted by a silvery barrier.

"Not bad yourself," snarled the ward mage. Kageyama leapt back as another magical barrier slammed down onto where he was standing.

Kageyama's smile sharpened. "Nice try, but even the best defense has its weak spots! Shadow Orochi!"

Hundreds of black snakes extended from his shadow. They rammed into another barrier, but Kageyama wasn't too worried. He lifted his hand slowly off the ground, and a single tendril of dark blue launched itself at the barrier. With the combined pressure of Shadow Orochi and the piercing arrow of dispelling magic, the ward mage had lost; his barrier shattered just like the much larger one. In that instant, his snakes pounced on the now defenseless warding mage. For a moment, the mage managed to fend off a few of the snakes, but the tide of shadows shortly overwhelmed him. One twined around his hands, the tightening coils forcing the mage to let go of his weapon. Then the snakes piled on top him, some biting in warning while other slammed the mage into the floor. Soon, the mage was buried. Kageyama gave it another minute before he dispelled his shadow magic. The warding mage was beaten up and slumped in unconsciousness. _Perfect_.

"Took you long enough, Kage-chan," teased the magical cat in her usual form. Around Cana and Nightingale were knots of bandits, weapons littering the ground and bodies bloodied, scratched, or burned, minds unconscious, but otherwise fine.

Lucky for the trio, Kageyama knew enough about runic magic himself to seal off the warding mage's power (and the other bandits just in case). Cana contributed with several long reels of rope hidden in her bag for just this purpose. Soon, they had all the rogues hog-tied for the Rune Knights.

* * *

"So, how did your mission go?" inquire Mirajane several hours later. Currently, Cana was teasing the flustered shadow mage into joining her for a drinking contest. Kageyama pushed away the drink she offered with a sheepish smile.

"Hmm? Oh, the mission. A success all thanks to the girls."

"Now, don't go all polite on me now, Kage-chan!" hollered a very drunken Cana. _I knew I should have been more forceful about Nightingale always calling me by that nickname_ sighed Kageyama. "He dealt with the big bad warding mage himself while Nightingale and I beat up the pathetic excuses calling themselves bandits. This guy, though, has some crazy dispelling magic. The magical barrier looked pretty powerful, but Kageyama broke it all by his lonesome. Makes me want to see what he makes of Freed's barriers. And don't you go squirrely on me, Kageyama! Come on, you should have another drink!"

Nightingale huffed in amusement. "Not happening today. Kage-chan _is_ such as lightweight, he nearly keels over with a single mug, much less the barrel you regularly consume."

"Maybe I just don't like alcohol," weakly defended Kageyama with a blush. "Again, I must decline, Cana-san in favor of another day. And, who, may I ask, is Freed?"

"Freed Justine," clarified the ever-helpful Mirajane. "He's part of the Thunder Tribe, a trio of Fairy Tail mages who follow Laxus, a lightning mage, just so you know."

"Pretty devoted lot, too," commented Cana as she took a long gulp from her beer barrel. "Not very close to the rest of us guild members, but they respect, trust, and obey Laxus above everyone else. Perhaps more so him than our own guild master. Word of advice? If you want to rile them up, insulting Laxus is the quickest and most volatile way to do it."

Mirajane nodded. "Freed in particular is the most distant of the lot, and he probably listens to Laxus more than the others. He specializes in rune magic, with his own dark variant on the power. No one to my knowledge has ever broken any of those "rules" of his he uses to dictate the power of his barriers."

"I think I'll stay away from him, then," acceded Kageyama with a small chuckle.

Shadow mage went to take a sip from his tankard of juice, only to nearly choke as Cana smacked his back.

"Aww, Kage-chan is so modest! And a hundred times better than that flamboyant guy!" announced the red-faced woman. "You're not too bad with runic magic yourself. Didn't you place binding runes on all those guys in no time flat?" slurred the woman.

Kageyama groaned as his trusted friend snickered in response to his silent plea for help. Why did he agree to join this guild again?

After that, Kageyama loosened up a bit around the guild members, and slowly they began to accept him, a few accompanying him on missions.

Kageyama reflected that is was very reminiscent of before, when his former guildmates were less corrupted, more open with the young boy, and not so bloodthirsty and cruel.

If only those days would last a bit longer. However, there was a storm brewing, and the calm would inevitably be broken.


	3. Declaration of War

Declaration of War

* * *

Just when the shadow mage and his magical cat had finally found their own kind of pace in the chaos of their new guild, disaster struck.

The mages arrived in the morning to find the guild hall trashed, giant iron poles of some kind speared in several places, like someone turned it into some sort of punk-styled pincushion. As explained by Mirajane, Phantom Lord, a major rival of Fairy Tail, had finally struck physically at the guild. Every member was furious, but their guild master refused to respond to the obvious challenge. Kageyama was one of the many voices to protest the course of inaction. Which honestly surprised the shadow mage.

 _When did this guild I once dismissed as weak and pandering become so important to me in such little time?_ Kageyama couldn't find a satisfactory answer to that. So, instead he took measures in case the worst happened. Master Marakov wasn't an expert in this kind of work, but he agreed to help the young mage - in between drunk bouts, that is.

* * *

A few days later, and the strongest team of Fairy Tail returned to find their guild hall in ruins and their master placid and plastered.

"Welcome back!" called out Master Marakov cheerfully, crinkled face already flushed.

"Jicchan! This isn't the time to go and get drunk!" snapped the dragon slayer. Their guild master's face became stern.

"Right you are, Natsu. It's time for your justly-deserved punishment! How dare any of you go up to the second floor without my permission, much less take one of the S-class quests posted there and leave! I even had to send Gray and Erza to go and fetch the three of you! Bad, bad, bad!" With each utterance of "bad," the drunk mage slapped the offending Fairy Tail mage right on his head.

Kageyama choked on his drink when the pervy old man slapped the Stellar Spirit mage's derriere.

"Master!" chastised Mirajane. "Behave yourself."

No matter how hotly the three protested, Master Marakov shot down all proposals to strike back at Phantom Lord.

Kageyama sighed as he finally extracted himself from his shadowy corner. "Guys, I don't think Master Makarov will budge on this, so you might as well just plot quietly on your own time."

"Kageyama-chan, don't encourage their bad behavior!" gently chastised the Take-Ove mage.

"Kageyama?" questioned the four mages as they turned to the shadow mage.

Erza, the first one to recover, inquired politely, "Master, what is he doing here?"

"Like I told everyone else, Kageyama and his companion Nightingale is serving their time with community service. And who better than Fairy Tail to keep an eye on them? 50% of their take on quests goes to restoration efforts, just so you know."

The mage and cat suddenly found themselves under scrutiny once more by the returning mages. Lucy offered him a friendly smile. Erza's steely eyes looked like they could dig deep into his soul and found him wanting. Gray's expression was unreadable. Natsu just looked mad – but he probably was still upset about the thing with Phantom Lord.

"Oh yeah, Natsu I've had Kageyama staying in the same forest where your own home is since he can't really pay for rent here in Magnolia, and he doesn't much care for city life anyways. Hope you don't mind the company," casually brought up the old mage.

Kageyama's friendly smile froze on his face. Wasn't Natsu the salmon-haired mage he kind of mocked on the train, struck out against during the mage's moment of weakness, and then finally got soundly beaten by said mage? The shadow mage braced himself for whatever kind of response the dragon slayer would throw.

"You personally let this guy in, Jicchan?"

"Indeed, I did."

"Alright then," said the dragon slayer simply. "If he's a member of Fairy Tail, fine by me, Jicchan.

"…" Kageyama stared at the dragon slayer, utterly flabbergasted at this 180. "…You're really fine with me being a member of this guild? After all I've done?"

"That's just the way of Fairy Tail," pronounced Erza with a smile. "We all have our pasts and secrets. You're here to atone for yours, are you not?"

Kageyama wordlessly nodded. Then he turned fully to the dragon slayer. "And you, Natsu Dragneel? I must admit, I'm surprise you're not still mad at me for that stunt on the train…or when I tried to get the drop on you at the train station."

"That's in the past. Besides, didn't I beat you up after? I think we're even by now. You even helped out a bit in the battle against Lullaby. By the way, if you haven't built a house by now, I'll lend you a hand later, okay?"

Kageyama stared dumbfounded as the other mage shot him a smile before scowling as he surveyed the temporary relocation of their guild's tavern.

* * *

That night, for some reason Kageyama and Nightingale returned to the little hut they managed to build only to be grabbed by the fire mage and his own magical cat.

"Come 'on! Erza said I should get you two on my way home for sleeping stuff! Mira told everyone to take precautions in case Phantom Lord tries anything."

"Wai- what?!"

And that was how Kageyama and Nightingale awkwardly finding themselves in Lucy's apartment along with Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, Natsu Dragneel, and Happy the magical cat.

"Sorry, about popping up like this," Kageyama said again.

"It's fine," reassured Lucy. "I mean, it's good to be together like this in bad times, right? Plus, I bet you didn't exactly have much forewarning if Natsu was the one to tell you."

While the humans were discussing the sleeping arrangements, Nightingale unfortunately found herself off to the side with a very love-struck blue cat.

"Wow, you're really pretty! Is it true you're like me? With the whole talking cat deal and magical flying powers?"

To answer, Nightingale let a pair of white wings flutter into being.

"Wow!" gaped the blue cat. "You're like an angel~"

Nightingale suddenly threw the other cat a wide smile full of pointed teeth. "Angel?"

Next thing the love-sick cat knew, he was smashed under a pair of large paws as Nightingale showed off her other powers. She had transformed, the lithe purple cat becoming a hefty, young, but still rather large, tiger cub. A handy alternative form to use around allies in small spaces

"Cool! Happy, why can't you do that?!" demanded Natsu.

"Do not give me pet names, call me cute, adorable, or any variant of that sentiment. I am a mage and grown cat first and foremost. Got it?" growled Nightingale. "Kage-chan is the one exception, got it?"

"I got it, got it! Uncle!" squeaked Happy. Content, the tiger lifted her paw up and in a poof of smoke, became the small bipedal cat once more.

"She is a formidable mage," remarked Erza with a faint smile just as Natsu complained to Happy about how come he can't transform into such a badass cat.

"Aren't all female mages of Fairy Tail," joked Kageyama as he threw his closest companion a fond smile.

Lucy was astonished. Tiger-cat thing aside, this was truly a surprise. The ruthless shadow mage of only several weeks ago seemed so much different. His smiles before were full of smugness, arrogance, and cruelty; this one was kind, encouraging, thoughtful. It reminded the Stellar Spirit mage of how the person, who tried to murder so many people, was also a young man around their own age.

Gray was also intently looking at the two newest mages of Fairy Tail. "Hey, Kage-whatever."

"Kageyama," reminded the shadow mage with a bit of irritation.

"Kageyama. Where did you get a winged cat, anyways? I traveled to lots of places but only met Happy here six years ago."

"By met, you mean seen hatched," Erza corrected the ice mage.

Kageyama shrugged. "Same with me, I suppose. Found her egg up in a tree of all things outside the forest where Eisenwald's guild was located some six years ago."

"So, you've been a part of Eisenwald for some time, before it was excommunicated," concluded Erza with a thoughtful glance in the shadow mage's direction.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I joined a little bit before I found Nightingale's egg. Erigor was the one who found me when I was young boy wandering the woods with not a clue how I got there in the first place. One moment, I was traveling to my mother's home, next thing I know I'm all alone in some woods I don't recognize. Never did find her, either."

"You lost your mother?" asked Erza gently. The Requip mage may not have had parents of her own, but she could sympathize with the loss of precious family members.

"Yeah…I've given up hope of ever finding her again," Kageyama said quietly.

Natsu's expression grew fierce. "You don't know that for sure, Kageyama! It's like with me and Igneel. I may not have seen him for seven years now, but I know he's out there!"

Kageyama scrunched up his face. _Igneel…?_ It had a familiar ring to it. Like he heard it somewhere else a long time ago.

Lucy took his look for confusion and explained, "Igneel is the name of Natsu's foster father. He's…well…a fire dragon. Taught Natsu his magic and everything."

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, he was the best, even if he made me study and stuff. I lost him July 7, X777 and never saw him again. But I'm certain he's out there." Suddenly Natsu grinned right at him. "How about this? We'll make a deal. So long as I'm still searching for Igneel, you won't lose hope either and keep looking for your parent, too!"

Kageyama couldn't help but smile in the face of the other mage's enthusiasm. "Deal, then. As long as you have hope in finding Igneel, I won't give up on looking for my mother."

"Man, Ji-chan sure has a habit of picking up strays," remarked the ice mage. Kageyama blinked in bewilderment as the two mages nearly started a tussle then and there until Erza sent them a spine-tingling look of disapproval.

"Natsu, Gray, this is Lucy's home, so try to remember your manners."

"Yes, Erza," both mages replied with a pair of creepy smiles reminiscent of Happy's, but spookier.

* * *

Talk about the recent events started again once everyone settled in their pajamas – if they had them, that is.

"Ugh, why are we just sitting on our hands like this!" growled Natsu as he settled at the table. "Jicchan shouldn't be so scared and show them what Fairy Tail is made of!"

"That's hardly the reason, Natsu, for Master's decision. Few things scare the old man since he _is_ one of the ten Wizard Saints," Erza reminded the younger mage.

Kageyama crossed his arms and nodded in agreement. "I may not have been a member for long, but not even the threat of instant death by Lullaby scared the guy. In fact, he just talked to me casually like I really was some random traveler. And the Ten Wizard Saints certainly are a force to be wary of."

"Excuse me, but what are the Ten Wizard Saints?" inquire Lucy.

Erza pursed her lips. "The Ten Wizards Saints, or the Holy Great Mages, are an elite group of wizards. The title is given to the ten most powerful mages in each continent and decided by the chairman of the Magic Council."

"Jose, the master of Phantom Lord is one of them," chirped up Happy.

Natsu would not be appeased or convinced. "NO WAY! Just because they're the same level, we still shouldn't let Phantom Lord treat us like trash! Jicchan's probably just scared because Phantom Lord has a lot of members and allies."

Kageyama shook his head. "No, Master Marakov's decision is for the best, politically. Fairy Tail has a really bad reputation among the Magic Council. A battle between our guilds would worsen that outlook, especially if we were the technically instigators of a _physical_ fight," pointed out Kageyama. "Although, the numbers thing is also a factor, since we only have the one guild outpost and no other branches or really allies to call upon."

"Are you implying something?" bellowed Natsu. The shadow mage held up his hands as if to ward off the fire mage's ire.

"Hey, hey, I'm just explaining our guild's position. Quality versus quantity is a thing, you know."

"He isn't incorrect. Masters Marakov and Jose are equals in terms of power, and so, too, is the battle strength of their respective guilds. Phantom Lord also has the Element Four, the equivalent of our S-class mages." Erza stopped for a moment to mull over her next words. "However, as formidable as the Element Four are, the rumors put Black Steel Gajeel as one of the most powerful members. He's an iron dragon slayer."

"D-dragon slayer?" yelped Lucy. Kageyama stiffened in turn. _More dragon slayers?_ Wasn't Dragon Slaying magic supposed to be a Lost Magic if he had his magic theory and history right. Kageyama couldn't shake the feeling about another dragon slayer appearing as anything but a coincidence.

* * *

"Levy-chan…"

"Jet! Droy!"

Kageyama hissed and cursed under his breath at the sight of the three members of Shadow Gear beaten up and displayed out in the open. Nightingale said nothing, but the stiff raised hair of her fur said enough about the cat's feelings. _Unacceptable._

"Phantom Lord…"

The crowd parted for the diminutive guild master.

Master Marakov was silent for moment as he looked long and hard at the handiwork of Phantom Lord, from the blood-torn clothes and iron nails, to the black mark painted across Levy's stomach.

Kageyama cringed as he felt waves of intense magic suddenly emit from the old wizard. "It's one thing to wreck our bar and hall…that I can laugh off easily…but this…how can any parent bear to sit quietly when their children's blood has been spilled…?! THIS MEANS WAR."

* * *

Fairy Tail entered the scene in their usual way – with a tremendous bang courtesy of the fire dragon slayer. Kageyama himself had mounted on Nightingale's back as the tiger leaped through the rubble-strewn hole. Magic flew here and there as the two guilds clashed. Several mages converged on Elfman who was locked with another large man, only to be swept off their feet by Kageyama's Shadow Lasso.

"Trying to sneak up on someone while they're fighting? How…unmanly," mocked Kageyama as the mages were promptly knocked out by Shadow Knuckle and Nightingale's own claws.

"You tell them, Kageyama!" cheered Elfman as he slammed his opponent into the floor. "THIS IS WHAT A MAN IS ABOUT!" he roared.

Kageyama felt Nightingale suddenly tensed underneath him. She hurled herself and her companion to the side as an iron pillar erupted, taking out Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord mage alike in its wake. Elfman charged, enraged, but the new mage just laughed off his blows. More pillars erupted, wreaking random destruction for both guilds.

"Bastard," snarled the Take-Over mage. "Are you not even worried about the pain you are causing your comrades?"

Black Steel Gajeel, for who else could this be, simply sniggered. "Don't look away from your opponent!"

The huge man flew as an iron pillar rammed into him. Suddenly, someone else jumped into the fray, using Elfman as a springboard as he rammed a fiery fist into the iron dragon slayer's face.

"You brat…" muttered the unperturbed rival dragon slayer.

"GAJEEEEEEELL!" screamed the enraged fire dragon slayer. "I'm Natsu Dragneel, fire dragon slayer of Fairy Tail! If you want to fight someone, fight me!"

Fire and steel met in a clash of sparks. Kageyama threw himself off the cat.

"In the face of that, how can I just keep still?" was the explanation to given to Nightingale as he formed his shadow into a pair of swords. The tiger growled in approval and followed after the mage.

Just as they pushed the rival mages back, a thundering crash drew everyone attention. Master Makarov had fallen. The tides of battle had turned. Erza knelt by the master's side, face pale and drawn.

"Kage-chan! Nightingale-chan!" Both mages were by her side in a flash.

She handed the limp old man to him.

"You two are the quickest and least hurt. We must hurry!" Kageyama nodded grimly back. With the guild master secured in his arms, the shadow mage quickly hauled himself over Nightingale's back, and the two turned around and ran, dodging past the wildly thrown magics and weaving around locked opponents. Distantly, Kageyama registered the call to retreat, most of his focused narrowed on the dying pulse of magic from Master Makarov.

"Old man, don't die on us, yet," muttered the tense mage.

* * *

After Porlyusica shooed off the two humans Bisca and Alzack, the ancient healing mage looked pointedly at an empty space by the door.

"You may as well come out, young man."

The air trembled. Slowly, Kageyama came into view, his faithful cat companion crouched by his side in her larger form.

"Drain. What a terrible magic."

"Indeed."

 _One, two, thre-_

"Well? Aren't you going to do something young man?" shouted the old woman.

"Me?"

"Yes, you! Didn't you hear me when I was telling those humans earlier? Even a bit of his magic returned to him could speed up the process. You can't hide it from me. You have the power to absorb magic, however tentative at the moment. It's the basis of your dispelling ability from what I can tell. To save time and energy, you probably draw out key portions of magic, leaving places where magic will begin to leak. This can disrupt the overall flow of magic, leading to collapse, and thus the dispelling of even potent wards, barriers, and seals. Even now, you're subconsciously drawing in the ambient magic, the natural etheranos, from the air around us. No doubt you also drew off a bit of Makarov's magic back then, too."

The shadow mage slowly drew by the guild master's bedside. Tentatively, he laid a hand against the elder's chest. Magic gathered into his hand, not the usual black of his shadow magic, the indigo of his dispel magic, nor the rare silver of his innate magic, but a bright white: raw and absorbed magic gathered but not yet refined into something he could use. He mentally picked through the energies until he could feel the simultaneously familiar, warm, and yet terrifying magic of the sometimes giant. It wasn't much, but even a little would be a balm for the suffering mage. A slow glow suffused the elder mage as the magic quietly returned to its owner. The master's breathing eased a bit, not dramatically so, but enough for the two non-healers to gauge.

Kageyama and Nightingale left the tree home. Their master would recover eventually, but in the meantime, the guild needed every able body to defend it.


	4. Destruction and Hope

The tiger's strides ate at the earth underneath them, but the sudden rumble prompted the cat to jump, a pair of large white wings normally hidden taking steed and rider into the air. In the distance, Kageyama could make out the Phantom Lord's walking guild headquarters bringing out a huge cannon.

"Is that…a Jupiter cannon?!" yelled Kageyama. "Nightingale, speed boost, now!"

"Already on it!"

Erza wore her most powerful armor and stood firm as the blast seared her. Then, something large tackled her back to the ground. She faintly saw against the harsh light someone taking her place.

"DEVOURING VOID!"

The white ray of magic suddenly narrowed at that one point and rapidly disappear. The screech of the blast and her guildmates' yells suddenly cut off. Not even a falling pebble could be heard.

As soon as the last of the light was swallowed, the lone figure fell out of the sky with a crash. Erza heard a familiar voice curse. The tiger form of Nightingale had been what crashed into the Requip mage. Making the mage who had stopped the magic convergent cannon…

"Well, how unexpected! Is that the Kageyama fellow from the whole Eisenwald affair? To think Makarov let someone like that into your guild…then again, this _is_ Fairy Tail we're talking about, always willing to let such weaklings into its doors. We're doing you a favor if the kid dies-"

"D-don't count me out yet!"

Trembling, the shadow mage got to his feet, shrugging off Erza's hands. Planting his feet, the mage drew in a huge breath.

 _Weak, are we?_ "DEATH DRAGON'S ROAR!" Like before, the world itself seemed to go silent. Invisible waves of magic tore through the air, sweeping whatever particles and magic together until they coalesced into a smoky white tide a hundred meters out from where the mage stood. The wave crashed, sending the walking guild careening as it attempted to regains its balance.

Jose snarled as the black mage had singlehandedly not only cancelled out the blast of the Jupiter cannon by himself, but had the strength to dare and challenge his guild.

"Why you- Hmph! Whatever. It doesn't look like you have enough in you for another miracle, little dark mage. Not after that kind of attack. Give up already, Fairy Tail! I've taken down your master and your little trump card! So, hand over Lucy Heartfilia, or face the wrath of Jupiter, once more!"

Kageyama had fallen to his hands and knees in extreme fatigue but offered his own protests to the Wizard Saint's demand. No member of their guild would simply abide by and let bullies like Phantom Lord have power over them.

"Death Dragon's Roar?" Kageyama looked up to see the salmon-haired mage offering him a hand up. "And what's with that last attack of yours?"

"Yeah. I'll explain once this is over." _Sorry, mother._ But, Kageyama couldn't just stand by and let this happen.

Kageyama had gambled that enough of his reserves being freed from the gradual removal of his seal to perform those attacks. Devouring Void could vanish or absorb vast tracts of magic, while his dragon breath sent an invisible wave of magic, sweeping up particles and ambient magic as the silent magic pulsed out like some phantom wind. It was even more powerful because he had expelled the newly absorbed magic on top of his own magic. However, he couldn't perform those two attacks back-to-back without consequences due to the strain on the still-present seal and the limit on his usable magic reserves.

While he and the guild master had begun the disassembly of his magic seal after Phantom Lord's initial attack on the guild, it was a long while yet before he could use his Dragon Slaying magic with impunity. As a Death Dragon Slayer, he could 'eat' magic to recover his own reserves, but it took time to incorporate foreign magic and not without pain from the remainder of the seal.

For now, the shadow mage lent support from the sidelines, shadow magic and dispel magic dispersing the shades within several meters radius of the recovering mage.

* * *

Just as the last seconds before the cannon would go off trickled by, something exploded within the walking castle. But their relief was cut short; the guild headquarters of Phantom Lord twisted about as it became a huge robot.

Kageyama felt sick just looking at it – one of the last things he missed from his Dragon Slaying magic was the inability to ride on any kind of vehicle, which Natsu no doubt experiencing in there.

One of the three-fingered arms jerked up. Bit by bit, the robot began to draw what was unmistakably magic seals in the air. One the shadow mage recognized.

"Seriously?! He's going to use Abyss Break! He's going so far into this war as to destroy half of Magnolia Town!" realized the horrified mage. Word quickly spread until the whole of Fairy Tail stared grimly at the mechanized wizard tracing the magic of their doom.

Kageyama stumbled to his feet as Mirajane tried to sacrifice herself for the guild's sake in vain.

"Kage-chan, stay ba- AAaah!" A huge robotic hand snatched the former S-class mage right before them all.

He didn't look back. In moments, Nightingale had charged over to his side, body hunching low for the mage to leap onto her back. Then they were off into the sky after Mirajane.

The arm jerked to-and-fro as the two tried to land on it. When it nearly sent the two careening from the sky, Kageyama ordered the magic cat to land within the guild castle.

"…should be smashed apart at any moment now," said a weird noodle-like mage rising from the ground.

Sol of the Earth most likely.

"R-run…all of you, just save yourself and forget me!" begged the white-haired woman.

"Non? All?"

Kageyama's foot crashed into the wobbling mage, followed by Nightingale's heavy body.

"We're Fairy Tail mages, monsieur. I'm afraid if you mess with _one_ of us, you mess with _all_ of us!" The air around his hands began to distort until silver claws could be seen.

"Death Dragon's Cursed Claw!" He lashed out, tearing apart the earth copy of Sol into two, and leaving the real one by itself. "Elfman, ignore him. He just trying to rile you up because he can't take you on if you're focused, obviously. Like some cowardly insect."

"Why you-"

"I'll leave this to you, I think." Kageyama exchanged a confident nod with the Take-Over mage before merging with his shadow. Likewise, Nightingale shrunk to her smaller form and took flight.

Emboldened, the beast-armed man charged at Sol who had launched himself at the disappearing mage. "What kind of man are you to involve Nee-chan?!"

Kageyama smirked as bestial roars began to echo from the room he had just left. Immense magical power churned chaotically before a strong determined will reigned them in. _He'll be fine._ Before, the magic of the large man was highly unstable from his uncertainty and brittle resolve. But, now his love for his family shone true underneath the bestial instincts.

He slipped past the roof where the water mage and ice mage fought and dove deeper into enemy territory. Finally, he came upon what he was searching for; Natsu fighting what had to be the air magic user. Before the next blow could hit, Kageyama dove out from the shadows, arms held out in a sweeping motion. Invisible airspace magic met with the equally invisible Void Dragon Slayer magic.

"Hmm, another young dragon and warrior joins us."

Not only had Kageyama joined the fight, but Erza had also entered the battlefield.

"Against not only an unexpected dragon slayer but the infamous Titania of Fairy Tail would require me to fight my all, I think." The large, dark-skinned man pulled off his blindfold to reveal a pair of perfectly normal eyes.

Kageyama gasped as the mage's magical power increased dramatically. Those dark eyes of his gleamed with a mad light at the center.

"Erza, are you sure you're okay enough to fight? You took a bit of damage even if I negated some of the worst of it," worried the younger mage.

"Kageyama, it's nice for you to worry, but should it not be me expressing my qualms? As mentioned, _you_ were the one to take the brunt of the magical blast, not I."

"You're right, the two of you are definitely not in top fighting condition. But, I suppose neither of you will back down now, huh?" sighed Nightingale flapping in the air. "Sheesh, you're all a bunch of idiots, aren't ya?"

"You should listen to the little cat. By removing my blindfold, I have activated my ultimate Airspace magic, the Airspace of Death, Zero. This can consume all life!"

Natsu gasped in pain as the airspace sucked away magic power. But the two other mages would not be daunted. Erza ran headlong, sword slashing ahead of her.

"Why…WHY DO YOU FIND THE TAKING OF LIVES SUCH AN EASY MATTER, BASTARD!" thundered Titania of Fairy Tail. And she wasn't alone in the rushing assault.

"Void Dragon's Cursed Claw!" Instead of silver, black-blue energy flared into tearing claws around his hands.

Together, the dragon slayer and sword mage tore apart Aria's Airspace magic. The panicking man didn't have time to react as Titania's sword flashed forth at the same time the shining talons dug into him.

"Tenrin Blumenblatt / Repose!"

Bloodied and torn, the man collapsed, eyes unfocused as the Element fell unconscious.

Repose, his finishing move, was partly derived from his skills with seals. After his claws tore into the man's magic directly, the dregs would be sealed away from use until the magic naturally (and slowly) accumulated. It would be a painful process as the man's remaining magic would be constantly pulled upon to break the seal. A slow and agonizing recovery.

Aria would one day regain full control of his magic, but he'll be suffering in the meantime. A fitting punishment on top of Erza's unforgiving sword wounds.

Erza turned back to her opponent with a gaze causing the younger mages to shudder in fear.

"Master would have never fell so easily to the likes of you…that tale will never appear in your saga, Aria," seethed the Valkyrie in human form.

Suddenly, the redheaded woman collapsed, Kageyama just barely catching her in time. Tremors began to wrack his own frame as he was forced to kneel.

"Erza! Kage-guy!"

The whole castle suddenly shuddered to a standstill.

"Is…is it over?" rasped Kageyama.

A scream broke through the silence.

"Bwahahaha! Now that we have secured our prize…we of Phantom Lord have only one more objective left to complete: the utter annihilation of your guild and all of you disgusting brats!" sneered the fallen Wizard Saint over the intercom system.

"…go," whispered the exhausted mage. "I can sense it…a wellspring of untapped potential slumbering with you…waiting for the right moment…waiting to be awakened by your resolve. If you believe in yourself, in your own power and the power of everyone…you can do it. Go…Lucy…our guild and friends…protect them…"

"Erza, don't strain yourself," cautioned Kageyama quietly.

Steel reentered those eyes. "NOW IS THE TIME! GO! GO, NATSU! GO AND PROVE YOU ARE THE MAN WHO WILL SURPASS ME!"

Natsu stood up. Flames surged and writhed around the teen. He turned and ran for their guildmate being hurt right now.

Kageyama sighed and looked back down at the woman in his arms. He closed his eyes and focused on the magic power recently received (stolen).

Some of it had finally changed from white to silver. He drew that part out, channeling through his arms and into the redheaded warrior.

"A recovery power?" questioned Erza. "Kageyama…you are full of secrets, aren't you? You know, what I said earlier applied to you, too. I can sense the large pool of magic you keep restrained within you. It's slowly being funneled back into your system. You can heal yourself, can't you?"

True. Kageyama's magic absorption power could be used to take the newly filtered magic and use it for his own. The black of his shadow magic and dark blue of his devouring and dispelling magic was his own stores, but the silver magic was actually converted magic necessary to fuel his offensive Dragon Slaying techniques; his natural reserves of magic just didn't work for those abilities. Another use of the silver magic was this, too. When raw white turned to silver, the magic could be used not only to attack, but also be converted into energy or ethernanos to restore stamina and Magic Power, respectively. It didn't heal traditionally, but the extra energy bolstered the body and encouraged one's natural healing abilities. A stop-gate measure for physical damages.

It was also the technique Kageyama was using since he couldn't restore Erza's Magic Power to any degree to be useful against the last of their opponents. Plus, restoring Magic Power this way was tricky business for bodies not used to the converted ethernanos he could produce (he blamed it on the fact the technique is more geared toward what his body could handle, and he _was_ a dragon slayer).

The side-effects weren't bad, just stressing on the body. Kageyama rather not risk it, especially with Erza's wounds on top of it.

"Yes, but why are you asking?"

"Do it," she ordered, tone brooking no argument. "You're in better shape and need every advantage should any of the Phantom Lord mages are still roaming around the castle."

At that moment, Nightingale added, "Yeah, Erza still has some fight in her, too. She'll be fine without your help. I figured she would be just as lively as this had she taken the Jupiter cannon's full power like she was trying earlier. So, turn your power back on yourself, or do I need to _make_ you, Bake-yama?"

One male mage against two determined and angry females…Kageyama readily admitted defeat and went to slowly restore his own magical reserves. After several more minutes, the other three Fairy Tail mages finally made their way the half-destroyed room.

"What the-? What are you doing here?" gasped Mirajane. She was by their sides in an instant. Kageyama had set the older mage to reclining against the bulk of Nightingale for comfort while he turned the large paws into a makeshift pillow for himself.

Mirajane clucked her tongue and fussed around the redhead. "Why do you do this to yourself, Erza? To fight in this state…and don't think I forgot about you, Kageyama-kun, you shouldn't be fighting so vigorously, either!"

All five mages went on high alert as an ominous aura approached.

Kageyama could only dimly remembered what happened next.

Jose had showed up, slowly applauding their efforts, the bastard. Elfman and Fullbuster tried to attack the man, but Kageyama could sense how the power of a Wizard Saint far outstripped any of them.

Except for one.

He moved before he could think of any plan or even what he was doing, kicking the two back as he took the brunt of the attack. He could absorb magic through his skin, but it wasn't as efficient as 'eating' it in the manner of dragon slayers. Yet, he still found it in himself to keep standing even as his body screamed from the magic searing and struggling within him, the consequence of him improperly taking in foreign magic, especially in his vulnerable partially sealed state.

It was like there wasn't enough room in his body for this much magic, and it squirmed around trying to find a niche. Of course, what he didn't absorb stung and battered his body like hell.

Jose's grin turned toothier. "Amazing. And this is your type of Dragon Slaying magic, right? To think, you can rebuff even magical blasts from something like the Jupiter cannon. I think I'll make an exception in your case little shadow mage. How about you join my guild?"

Kageyama gave a closed-eye smile. "Never would a I join a gutless guild like yours. I already had enough of serving under dangerously unbalanced men and arrogant fools like Erigor. Why would I follow, then, someone like you?" spat the young mage.

The Wizard Saint's oily grin turned into an expression of rage. He was pretty sure he lost consciousness after a blast of pure magic sent him flying into the rubble. He felt fur just beforehand, so his dear Nightingale must have partially cushioned the blow ( _why did you do something so reckless, you're supposed to be the common sense between us?!)_ He didn't completely fall unconscious, though, since he did remember Erza yelling, the flash of Requip, and more explosions as magic users fought.

Kageyama shuddered awake just in time to hear the insane mage's monologue about why he had upped the rivalry between guilds into baseless attacks and full-out war.

Jealousy. He was jealous. Him, a guild master and Wizard Saint over one of the most prominent regular guilds in the country. _Fucking fly,_ that remnant of the old Kageyama thought venomously. Now, this was definitely the type of person he genuinely loathed on principle more than what he had been told by Eisenwald. A corrupted mage drunk of power – who craved even more despite his status, wealth, and renown.

He cursed how slowly his magic took to convert the raw, foreign magic still struggling against it. Regardless, Kageyama tried to get back to his feet. Behind him, Nightingale was partly buried under the rubble, back in her normal form, and thankfully he could still see her chest slowly moving up and down. _Pleasebeokaypleasebeokay…!_ _If he had actually killed her…!_

He stilled when he felt a hand gently settle on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, child. We will get not let these fools get away unpunished."

"M-Master Makarov?" stuttered the former dark mage.

The old man's magic flowed out like a cloak, no, like a huge and growling beast ready to be set loose.

 _And yet…_ it didn't feel threatening to him. No, it actually felt a bit warm. Comforting, even.

In a battle between titans, not even the most stalwart subordinate should risk the crossfire.

Kageyama ran with the others, half blinded by his magic sense. Then physically blinded as a spreading vast light filled the air. Everyone halted.

"It's Fairy Law," stated Erza.

"What's that?" asked Fullbuster. Kageyama made a noise of agreement.

The redhead smiled and explained, "Fairy Law is one of the three great Fairy Magics. A holy light to counter darkness…only those recognized as the enemy will be affected! And it is powerful enough to number as one of the legendary spells of our era!"

As their guild master emerged from the rubble of what once was Phantom Lord's main headquarters, everyone began to cheer.

They have impossibly won the guild war.


End file.
